The Erasmus Wilson lecture on the pathology of the lymphadenoid structures : delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons of England on March 1st, 3rd, and 5th, 1897 / by W.G. Spencer.

  • Walter G. Spencer
Date:
[1897]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Erasmus Wilson lecture on the pathology of the lymphadenoid structures : delivered at the Royal College of Surgeons of England on March 1st, 3rd, and 5th, 1897 / by W.G. Spencer. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    11/34 (page 9)
    After leaving the spleen they pass through glands about the tail of the pancreas and throagh the caeliac glands into the thoracic duct. The cells lining the spaces of the spleen pulp, through which the blood slowly flows, englobe and destroy red corpuscles and other foreign and harmful material. This function is especially active during digestion when the organ swells. The inherent rhythmical contractility residing in the unstriped muscle of the capsule and trabecule of the spleen favours the return of venous blood from the pulp spaces, especially after these have become distended during digestion. This rhythmical contractility has been not only the subject of experiment in animals, but has been observed during operations upon man. The spleen has been seen to contract under the eye when the return of venous blood had been hindered previously by its displacement. The spleen when prolapsed into a wound, so that the efferent veins are compressed, quickly becomes enormously swollen. The effect of removal of the spleen.—Complete splenectomy produces a temporary ansemia and enlargement of lymph glands, but neither condition is well marked. They occur both after experimental splenectomy in animals and also in the human subject when a spleen has been removed which had up to a short time before been healthy—e.g., when the spleen has been removed for injury or on account of a twisted pedicle (Ballance). No change follows upon the removal of a diseased spleen, either in the blood or in the lymph glands, for the functions of the spleen have already been assumed by the lymph glands, &c., before the operation. Some experimenters on animals have found them little affected by it. The existence of a spleniculus which hyper- trophies when the spleen is removed may explain this absence of symptoms, or, owing to a small portion of the spleen being left on the proximal side of the ligature, the spleen may re-form (Laudenbach).* After partial resection, however, healing takes place simply by scar tissue without any hypertrophy. The protective functions of the spleen.—The cells of the spleen pulp can stop and remove from the circulation abnormal blood corpuscles, pigment, and some forms of organisms. Large cells are seen enclosing red or white corpuscles, bacteria, &c. (cellules d'arrSt: Csesaris Demel),^^ According to Metchnikoff and Soudakewitch the spirUla 1' Pitta and Ballance: Transactions of the Clinical Society, 1896, •vol. xxix.,_p. 102. Also discussion by Ballance, Bland Sutton, ifcc, The Lancbt, Feb. itod, 1890. i» Laudenbach: Virohow's Archiv, 189.5, Band exli., S. 201. 1' Cffisaris Demel: Archives Italiennes de Biologie, 1896, tome xxvl p. 83. '8 MetchnlkofT: Vircbow b Archiv, 1887, Band cix., S. 176. 19 Soudakewitch: Annates de I'lnstltut Pasteur, 1891, tome v., p. 545.